Doctor Who review: Fugitive of the Judoon is the boldest episode of Chris Chibnall’s era yet

Fugitive of the Judoon appeared to be just another standalone episode. What we got was something far, far bigger…

Photo Credit: Ben Blackall/BBC Studios/BBC America

With some of the biggest surprises in Doctor Who history, Fugitive of the Judoon definitely has a lot of hype and controversy surrounding it right now. But is it a strong story in its own right?

Well. That was certainly quite an episode. In fact, Fugitive of the Judoon was a Doctor Who story so big that I honestly needed a few days to process it. And of course, to let things cool down after the hype. (I’d say “spoilers follow”, but let’s be honest: you all know the big twists by now.)

And there has been a lot of hype around this one. Whether you loved it or hated it, Fugitive of the Judoon achieved exactly what Chris Chibnall set out to do – it got everyone talking. And I mean everyone. Not just Doctor Who fans, but people who don’t even follow the show have been talking about the new Doctor.

But is the story worth the hype? That’s the key question. To answer it, we need to look at three key elements of the episode: the Judoon, the Captain and the fugitive. (Yes, I’m a fan of spaghetti westerns.)

The Judoon

While it’s definitely been overshadowed since, the return of the Judoon was hugely important because, let’s be honest, we all thought that this was going to be the main draw of the episode. So how well was their return handled?

Overall, really well. Writers Vinay Patel and Chris Chibnall could have easily fallen into the trap of making them too nice, as they’re broadly speaking a force for justice. But they made them just as nasty, heavy-handed and dangerous as they’ve ever been. “All Ears Alan” getting executed just for shoving one of them was a nice touch. He may have been a creep, but you couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy for him at his undeserved fate.

The Judoon weren’t focused on too much for the overall story. Especially during the second half, when the focus shifted to Ruth. But their return worked well, and it’s great to see such an unusual monster again, for the first time in far too long.

The Captain

Now we get to the first of two major surprises that this episode featured: the return of Captain Jack Harkness himself! It was bold not to announce his return, but it was a surprise that paid off. It’s been a key talking point for entertainment news sites and fan pages as well as the fan community, and was heavily discussed on social media almost instantly.

But how important was Jack’s role in this episode? Well, looking at it objectively, not very. In fact, Jack’s story is entirely separate to the Doctor’s. He’s only there to deliver a message – a message that won’t become important until later in the series. Honestly, it was a message that anyone could’ve given to the three companions.

It’s a little disappointing that his return isn’t that important, but that’s only in retrospect. If Jack had been heavily advertised in the promotion for this episode, the reaction would’ve been very different.

So kudos to the BBC for not doing what they did with John Simm’s Master in Series 10 and not ruining the surprise this time. And it has to be said, the surprise was effective, at least.

On top of that, Jack himself was handled brilliantly, giving us plenty of his usual charm and cheeky banter. Unsurprising, considering Chris Chibnall was one of Torchwood‘s main writers. While it would’ve been nice for Jack to have had a more important role in his return, it was nice to see him in Doctor Who at all. Especially after a gap as long as a decade.

Jo Martin’s role in Fugitive of the Judoon turned out to be much, much bigger than previously advertised…

Photo Credit: James Pardon/BBC Studios/BBC America

The Fugitive

Now we come to the real core of the story. The love-it-or-hate-it twist that’s divided fandom and has got everyone talking.

But before we get to the reveal itself, let’s discuss the buildup to that massive moment. Because the buildup was very well handled. Chibnall and Patel were very smart in how they hid how important this story was. We thought we could see what was coming a mile away – that the mysterious Lee Clayton was the fugitive the Judoon were looking for, and that he was keeping secrets from his wife Ruth. So it was nice to see the story subvert expectations when we found out that there was much more to Ruth than even she was aware of.

What really made the surprises regarding Ruth so effective was Jo Martin’s performance in the role. She really helped to make the character feel grounded – an ordinary person caught up in a rather extraordinary situation.

Jo Martin is the Doctor

But it was her performance during the story’s last act that particularly stood out. Whatever your thoughts are on where her incarnation may or may not come from, you can’t deny that Jo Martin was brilliant in the role. The moment she said, “Hello, I’m the Doctor”, the audience needed to believe that straight away. And the audience did. They may hate it, but she at least made it easy to believe it.

She’s an intriguing incarnation, too. She reminds me a little of both Six and Twelve in her abrasiveness, but she also distinctly reminds me of Seven in just how devious she is. We’ve only known her for a short time, but I’m definitely liking her as a Doctor already. I may end up hating where she comes from in terms of the Doctor’s long history, but she is, in terms of character, a fascinating incarnation to watch.

Fugitive of the Judoon is a bold and brilliant story. We had the long overdue return of a fantastic monster, an intriguing and subversive story, and one of the riskiest twists in a long time. Unlike far too many stories in Series 11, you can’t accuse this one of playing it safe. One of the stronger episodes of Series 12, and perhaps of Jodie Whittaker’s era so far.

dark. Next. Captain Jack won’t return in Series 12

What did you think of Fugitive of the Judoon? Did you love its surprises? Hate them or what it could mean for continuity? What was your favorite moment? Let us know in the comments below.

Home/Doctor Who